Release date set for Call of Duty: Black Ops 2

Start planning those midnight openings – the date of the biggest videogame launch of 2012 has been revealed.

Publisher Activision today announced that the latest game in the Call of Duty Series, Black Ops 2, will be released on 13 November.

A two-minute trailer for the game reveals a new direction for the franchise, setting the action in 2025 and offering a wide range of near-future weapons technology including robotic drones and what appear to be walking tanks.

But it hasn’t forgotten its roots. The trailer is narrated by Sgt Frank Woods, who appeared in the first Black Ops, and it has been reported that the lead character is a descendant of the original game’s main playable character, Alex Mason.

The most recent Call of Duty title, Modern Warfare 3, sold almost three million copies in the UK last year, according to figures released by the Entertainment Retailers Association. In the week it was launched, Sainsbury’s said value sales of the game outstripped sales of any other line in its stores – including bread and milk.

Sainsbury’s has already announced a pre-order deal on Black Ops 2, offering shoppers who order before 29 May a 20% discount off the regular price of £44.99 for the Xbox 360 and PS3, and £34.99 for the PC.

Tesco has also revealed its initial pre-order offer – a free Black Ops 2 t-shirt for the first thousand orders received. It has priced the game at £44.71 for consoles and £34.71 on the PC. Asda is selling the console version at £42.97 and the PC game at £34.97.

Game Group, which was acquired by OpCapita last month, is selling it at £44.99 for consoles and £39.99 for the PC. Shoppers who order the game in advance will be given a Prestige Token for use in CoD: Modern Warfare 3 that allows them to unlock a new weapon, double experience points or other multiplayer benefits.